Dottorato in SCIENZE DELLA TERRA

Ricerca: CSMs City Scape Materials and Materiality; Redefining urban heritage materiality: a conceptual study of Jerusalem

Historic urban areas represent urban heritage continuity. Buildings, structures, public spaces, setting and context are their finest features. Materials are their building blocks, interlacing nature, culture, and spirit of place. Materiality supports them all. Familiarity with materials provenance, characteristics and impact on tangible and intangible CityScape perception, is invaluable in contemporary urban renewal processes worldwide. The Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) integrated approach for the identification, assessment, conservation and management of historic urban area within an overall sustainable development framework, may serve as a methodology to a conceptual study, that transitions from theory to practice and feedback theory, using Jerusalem as a case study and Rome for comparison as cities of stone. The research will focus on understanding the relative role of materials and materiality in the notion of historic urban areas and urban life identity, and the impact of new materials and contemporary intervention on the continuity of urban heritage in an era of wide urban regeneration processes. By exploring materials provenance and characteristics of the 'Jerusalem stone', while focusing on Jerusalem as a primary case study, with a comparison to Rome, this research will aim to promote the significance of materials use and materiality essence in planning consideration - developing planning guidelines; and education training - developing educational modules on materials and materiality. Research Objectives Conceptualization and practicality: Understanding the relative role of materials and materiality in the perceptions of the historic urban area, and the impact of new materials and contemporary interventions on the continuity, character of urban heritage, and identity of urban life. Specific Objectives - Contemporary definition for materials and materiality as contributing attributes in urban heritage. - Assessment tool for examining the components of materials and materiality in a historic urban area as part of a heritage impact assessment in urban renewal processes. Future implications Planning wise: learning from Jerusalem and Rome along with HUL approach, will enable drafting recommendations on the applicability of new materials in historic urban areas. This will be an essential component in developing planning guidelines for integrated conservation in regeneration processes in Israel while protecting the character of the city. Educational wise: insights from the field work and the hands-on workshop, with EDICULA project's Joint Master’s Degree in conservation, will support the developing of educational modules on materials and materiality in historic urban areas. The research will be conducted in parallel to EDICULA (Educational Digital Innovative CUltural heritage related Learning Alliance) project. The European Union’s Erasmus+ and the project's initiative for establishing a Joint MA degree in conservation.